Friday, April 21, 2006

Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her eightieth birthday today. Eighty years of living in the public eye in a way that would be simply unimaginable to most of us. Born to be a princess, not a queen, she found herself the heir to the throne when her uncle King Edward VIII abdicated - by all accounts her mother never forgave him and Wallis Simpson for forcing her family unexpectedly into the limelight. In over fifty years as queen she has consistently put duty and country before her own personal interests. Let down by the antics of her children, she herself has rarely put a foot wrong.

If you would like to see how Queen Elizabeth is spending her birthday, read about her life, and find out 80 facts about the queen, visit the British Monarchy's official website.